This season at Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham has undoubtedly left his mark.
The England international bowled into the Santiago Bernabeu like he owned the stadium at the age of just 20 while donning the number made famous by Zinedine Zidane.
It is very uncommon for someone so young to have such confidence, and his 23 goals and 10 assists for Los Blancos (WhoScored) in all competitions, including goals in the El Clasico, demonstrate just how crucial he has been to his new team.
Since making his debut with the Birmingham City first squad, his star has been steadily rising. His enormous stature and demeanor both on and off the field are equally impressive, in addition to his obvious skill set.
Bellingham becomes an even more formidable fighter when donning the white jersey, willing to break through obstacles for his team.
A clear choice for the Ballon d’Or is Bellingham
Away from the field, he strikes me as a well-mannered, considerate, and perceptive young guy who avoids using the stereotypical portrayals of football players in interviews.
It makes sense why Stan Collymore, the columnist at CaughtOffside, couldn’t stop praising him in his exclusive essay.
“It’s not fair that the Ballon d’Or is awarded based just on athletic ability. Or, at the very least, not in a long time. As a result of the emotional attachment, I believe we have reached a crazy point where the Ballon d’Or is now awarded subjectively, always rewarding the players who have been there for a long period. Consider the Oscars and a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ballon d’Or ought to be a “in the now” achievement award, not a lifetime achievement one, he declared.
After the Messi and Ronaldo era, it needs a reset. Fortunately, we now have a number of excellent younger players who are performing well for major teams, such Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Vini Jr., Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe.
“What Bellingham is accomplishing is possibly the greatest accomplishment by an English player overseas, and I say that going all the way back to players like David Beckham, Denis Law, Jimmy Greaves, Liam Brady, Steve McManaman, and John Charles, who had a huge influence on Juventus.
“He plays against the best players in the world every week, so it’s very amazing for a relative top-flight rookie to enter that club with such confidence right away. He has been the go-between for the rest of his teammates at what is arguably the biggest club on the planet, and we’ve started to see him get forward a little bit more and score significant goals.
“He’s not the final product by any means, but name another player who has contributed more to their team’s ability to pose a constant threat both domestically and internationally. You are unable to locate one. Thus, it makes perfect sense that he would win Ballon d’Or and accomplish it at a place that has the power to engulf and then expunge its patrons. Nobody else comes close this year, in my opinion.
Even though all of the aforementioned young players have had fantastic seasons, at this point Bellingham’s accomplishments undoubtedly surpass theirs.
There wouldn’t be a comparison if he went on to win the European Championship with England or the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Additionally, it appears that it will not be long before he receives the armband at the club and international levels, which would be a fitting tribute to the player’s caliber and professionalism.
One can only wonder how far Bellingham will go in his career, considering that he is still essentially in the early stages of it.